Fire Emblem Fiery Flames
by YullenStarDust
Summary: A Ikena (KennaxIke) fanfiction. Kenna and Tiaoshi are sent out on a mission to find Akuma, who has been reported to be in Ylisse, hoping to enslave all of it. After the two are captured and saved from Ike and his old comrades, how will Kenna react to falling for the Radiant Hero? Rated M for Violence/Gore. The romance is T-rated.
1. Chapter 1: Meeting the Lord

Kenna Vikasa is a usual, 18-year old redhead. She is powerful when in battle, using her powers to fight villains and defeat them. But she is clumsy and socially awkward at times in real life, feeling silly for being that way. Her protector, Tiaoshi, has helped her with that, so Kenna is more social, but still can be awkward.

Anyways, besides the intro, Kenna and Tiaoshi were assigned by Solaria to go into an unknown realm and find Akuma, who has been rumored that she has a castle of her own in that realm. Kenna's rival is planning to take over the realm and enslave the citizens.

...But what Kenna didn't know is that she was going to be saved by a handsome, muscly man that made Kenna's heart race.

The blue-haired man had just saved Kenna from guards in black armor who were going to hang the young woman for trespassing on their land, which Kenna didn't even realize when she and Tiaoshi entered the realm. But it seems that Tiaoshi had gotten away safely and-

"...Um, are you alright, miss?" The young man raised an eyebrow.

Kenna squeaked and felt her face flush. "O-Oh, I'm fine. But thank you, sir, for helping me out."

"No problem." The blue haired man replied, setting Kenna down easily. He was carrying her bridle style after saving her. Kenna could feel her heart thumping in her chest as this happened.

The man didn't seem to notice, though, since he had a serious look on his face. To the best of her knowledge, Kenna assumed that he had other important things on his hands. He then started to walk away.

"...Um, what is your name, sir?" Kenna walked up to him, causing him to turn around. His armor clanged against his body as he did so.

Ike's face seemed to deepen, but not in concern. All he did was turn around and continue his trek away from Kenna.

Kenna blinked, surprised that he responded so rudely to her question. "Hey, sir! I was asking you a question, and you just walked away from me. I was asking you what your name is."

The man turned around once more, and his face calmed down. He blinked. "...My name's Ike. I'm a leader of the Greil Mercenaries." He then sighed and started walking away. "That's all you need to know."

Kenna didn't follow him this time, so she stood where she was and held her hands together. "...Oh, well, um...thank you, Ike, thank you very much."

Ike nodded as a reply without looking back, then stopped in his tracks, turning back to look at the redhead. "...Say, you look familiar, but I can't quite put my finger on it. What is your name?"

Kenna's face flushed. "O-Oh, um, I'm Kenna. Kenna Vikasa."

"Vikasa?" Ike's eyes widened."Your last name is Vikasa?"

"Yes, it is." Kenna smiled, confused of what he meant by that. "Why do you ask?

Ike fell silent for a minute, making the awkward moment extend between the two. He then exhaled, breaking the silence. "Well, there was a legend that Theodora Vikasa, once queen of Crimea, ruled this land. It was said that she had an immortal sister, one that outlived her when her time came." He then squinted his eyes as if to take a closer look at Kenna's appearance. "...And you look just like her."

"W-What?" Kenna gasped sharply. "No, I do not. I don't even know what she looks like!"

Ike didn't even seem shocked by Kenna's response. "Well, that might be because you had disappeared after her death and never came back for many years to come." His bluntness in his personality showed through his expression.

The redhead was speechless, she didn't know what to say at the young man's sentence at then bit the inside of her cheeks and crossed her arms. "I didn't disappear! This is the first time I've heard about it. And to be honest, I believe you shouldn't come to that assumption unless you know the truth."

Ike blinked, his eyes widened. He didn't expect for Kenna to fire back the sentence. He had to admit that he didn't mean to be blunt like that, but he had assumed something that he thought the young woman knew. But he was quite impressed, so he put that thought aside with a smirk.

"Oh, I see you're able to fire back words with a fierce tone." Ike laughed a little. "I haven't met someone like that before."

"You haven't?" Kenna questioned.

"That's correct. Most people I know are not like that, unless I come across greedy and tempered people who want to pick a fight with me for no reason at all." He then exhaled and put his sword back in its hilt. He was holding onto it the whole time he was talking.

He then took a look at her attire, and saw that was definitely out of the ordinary. She was still wearing her clothes from before, which was the known blue turtleneck, white skirt, trainers, and sneakers.

"...Is that a new trend or something?" Ike raised an eyebrow, not surprised.

Kenna blinked, and scanned herself with her eyes. Her eyes then widened. "Oh my gosh...no! No, it's not! I...I thought my clothes were going to change when I entered this realm." She then saw Ike's questioning look about that, and she shooed it off with her hand. "I-It's a long story."

Ike sighed, and rested his head on his hand, small strands of his blue hair peeking out between his fingers. "...Well, you need to get somewhere safe. I assume that the castle Theodora was once in has been destroyed by an evil goddess, so you can stay with me at the castle."

Kenna felt her face flush when he said that. "M-Me? Staying with you at the castle?"

Ike could sense that she was excited about that. His eyebrows twitched in annoyance. "Yes. Now, come with me. I swear that there was another woman with you. She's at the castle now, being taken care of."

Kenna's excitement soon changed to shock as the two started walking. "Oh, you mean Tiaoshi? Yes, she was with me when this all happened. I saw somebody cut the rope off around her neck, and then carried her away. Do you know who that someone might've been?"

"To the best of my knowledge, no, I do not." Ike shook his head. "I guess we'll find that out when we get back." He then looked over his shoulder at Kenna's attire once more. "Oh, and we'll have to get you a new outfit."

"...A new outfit?" Kenna looked a bit offended. "I think this attire fits me well, thank you very much!" She didn't hear a response from the Lord, so she kept on talking. "What is wrong with my outfit, though? Does you think it looks bad?"

...Kenna soon came to the assumption that Ike had distaste in the outfit...probably because of it being different from the others and he wanted Kenna to fit in with the crowd at the castle, let alone the outside world.

"Okay. You can open your eyes now." A young, orange-haired woman in her middle 30's spoke up to Kenna, who did exactly what the woman told her to do.

Her eyes widened when she saw her new outfit. Around her neck was a purple scarf, with a black cross on it to hold it together. Two armored shoulder pads, with purple on the top and gold on the edges, supported her shoulders. Two gold rings were wrapped around both of her arms. Besides the armor, the things that finished off the new look were a normal grey, long-sleeved shirt, a blue skirt, black pants, and steel boots.

"Whoa..." Kenna blinked, marveled at her new look. "I...I look..."

"Wonderful?" The woman had a smirk coming at the tip of her lips. "I'd say it is, dear. Lord Ike suggested it."

"He did?" Kenna questioned. _Well, he seems to have a good taste in armor, then. _"Well, that was nice of him. But what about my other clothes?"

"Oh, they're in your room." The woman smiled. "Your room is upstairs. One of the guards will show you up there."

Kenna blinked. "Okay then..." She then sighed in relief. _Geesh, I would've thought he'd thrown them away instead of having them being sent up to my room..._she thought.

The redhead then turned around to look at the older woman. "...So I guess I'm finished then?"

"Yes, of course. You don't have to ask." The woman replied, grinning. She then watched as Kenna went to leave the room, closing the door behind her.

Kenna had her arms crossed as she proceeded down the hallway upstairs, her boots making clanging sounds against the floor. It took a couple of minutes for her to go up the stairs, since there was a numerous amount of them, and she didn't know which direction to go. So with help from people there, she managed to finally find the hallway.

Just as she spotted her room with her last name engraved on it and went to open it, she heard a joyful voice calling her name. She sharply turned around to see who it was, and couldn't believe her eyes. It was Tiaoshi herself, wearing armor similar to Kenna's. And the person holding her hand, well, she didn't expect him either.

"Tiaoshi? A-And Kiyo?" Kenna stammered when they met up with her. "How did you guys find me?"

"Oh, Lord Ike told us where you were heading." Kiyo nodded, his jet black hair going along with the movement of his cranium. "Besides, one of the warriors there told us that he had saved you from the dark knights."

"Yes, that's true." Kenna smiled. "And who saved you two?"

Tiaoshi thought that over. "Lucina and Marth, I believe. They know the Lord very well." She then saw Kenna's slight smile and laughed. "And I think you fell head over heels in love with your knight in shining armor, am I not?"

Kenna's face flushed. "N-No, I did not! H-He's handsome, but he is not...someone I would get a crush on..."

Tiaoshi smirked. "Oh, you're a kidder, aren't you?" She then nodded to Kiyo, who smiled and left, since he had other tasks on his hands. She then turned back to the redhead.

"...I'm not a kidder." Kenna frowned after Kiyo had left their sight. "I don't have a crush on him."

Tiaoshi could see that Kenna's beet red face and the pinching of the inside of her cheeks was giving that away. "Oh, really?"

"Eeep!" Kenna hid her face with her hands, then muttered to herself, "Why, oh god why..."

Tiaoshi laughed. "See? I knew it!" she then smirked. "And Lord Ike is not a bad choice, either."

Kenna lifted her head up and sighed, her face still as red as a tomato. "...Yeah, I have to agree with you on that one. Those muscles..." Kenna's face went back to its normal color as she started to drool, going off into what's known as fangirl land in Kenna's mind.

_Oh crap..._Tiaoshi exhaled and waved her hand in front of the redhead to see if that'll help. "Alright then." Tiaoshi muttered to herself, "Let's try this." she took a deep breath. "SNAP OUT OF IT!"

Kenna jumped and shook her head. "Oh gosh. Thanks, Tiaoshi."

Tiaoshi just nodded in response, and then walked away to her room. Kenna could swear that she saw Tiaoshi smirk as she did so.

"Is there any problems?" Kenna heard a masculine voice boom across the hallway. The redhead sharply turned around to see Ike, who was basically checking on the hallways before going to his room.

Kenna felt her face turn red when she saw him. "O-Oh, there's nothing wrong here. Everything's fine." she laughed nervously, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand.

"...Why is your face beet red?" The Radiant Hero raised an eyebrow.

Kenna blinked. "Oh...uh, no reason. I ate a lot of tomatoes, that's all." She then grew silent when Ike gave her a surprised look.

_Well, there goes that lame excuse..._ she thought. Her eyes then widened when she heard a short laugh escape Ike's lips.

"Nice try." he then started making his way past her to check to see if the other part of the hallway was clear.

"What are you doing?" Kenna looked at him, catching his attention.

"Oh, this is just to make sure that there aren't any intruders here." Ike exhaled. "Lately, there has been many of them, and we haven't seen any strange-looking intruders in our life."

Kenna's eyes widened, she had a bad feeling about this. "...What do you mean, 'strange-looking intruders'?"

Ike got quiet, and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm sure this'll ring a bell for you, but I believe they are demon minions."

The Radiant Hero didn't have to say anymore, because Kenna felt her anger boil up inside of her. "...Those demon minions? They...they are the army my arch nemesis, Akuma, created! How did that...monster get in here?"

"Beats me." Ike shrugged. "She must've used a spell that our Tacticians have not learned yet. But you...know her?"

"What do you think? Of course I know her. Ever since I got my powers from Tiaoshi when I was little, and had trained hard to get strong, she has always been on my back. She's always tried to defeat me and take over the Earth, unlike her partners in Darkurus, who just want to take over Tigoris-also known as the 'Planet of Heaven'." She took a deep breath. "...And the worse thing is, Akuma is a demon spirit who has been possessing my entity cousin, Akira, for years. I want to get her out of her misery."

Ike seemed concerned after her explanation of Akuma. It was as if it reminded him of his past, of someone that he tried to save or wants to save, but never was able to take them away from Death's grasp in time...

"Is something wrong, Lord Ike?" Kenna tilted her head. Ike shook his head, and rested a hand on his head.

"...It's...nothing. And it's none of your concern." he replied in a blunt tone. "Also, you should be getting some sleep. I'll...be helping you with training tommorow."

"Training?" Kenna's eyes gleamed, and then Ike wished that he hadn't mentioned that in the first place. "...You mean that I'll become a part of the Greil Mercenaries?"

Ike didn't know how to put his words in the correct order, so they could be thoroughly explained to the redhead. So he just rubbed the back of his head with his hand. "That's...basically it. I'll...see you tommorow." he then left without saying another word.

Kenna didn't hear him mutter, "...Gosh, this girl has to be the weirdest person I've ever met..." so she just smiled and her cheeks turned a light pink pigment. She then made her way to her room, and closed the door behind her.

When she got in there, she noticed a nightgown on the dresser in front of her bed. Curious, she took off her warrior clothes and put the nightgown on. It seemed to be a good fit, with the bottom of it being lacy at the bottom. The shoulders had straps on them, which didn't bother Kenna all that much. They reminded her of the type of nightgowns she had at home.

The 19-year old redhead then sighed happily, feeling the bantam pink pigment from before rest on her cheeks. She flopped down on her bed, pulling the covers over her.

"...This day...has been so strange." Kenna said to herself, thinking over what had happened. "First off, I had met a hunk of a man who had saved me from an army of dark warriors. He then says that I look exactly like someone I haven't even met before in my life, and wants me to join the castle and become part of the Greil Mercenaries. As much as it sounds fun, I'm a tad nervous about it." A smirk slowly crossed her lips, and the pigment on her cheeks only got redder. "...But with Ike helping me train, becoming part of this will only become better and better."

Then, without another word, she fell asleep.

* * *

><p>After Kenna put on her armor clothes on in her room and ate her breakfast in the hall, one of the servants told her that she was being called to the back of the castle, where the forest was. Kenna was a tad confused, but with help from one of the guards, they showed her the way.<p>

When she stepped into the forest, she got nervous. She was trying to remember about yesterday, about Ike saying that he'll train her so she can get stronger. Her mind was still a bit foggy from sleep, but it went away when she got a huge grin on her face. And speaking of the said expression, she happened to glance over in front of her.

She saw the mercenary leader, and her face got beet red. There he was, standing in the open, with his upper body exposed. He was wearing the shorts that went with his warrior outfit, and the bandana around his blue hair. Kenna started to grin when she saw Ike's muscles on his arms, and when they started to move as he started practicing his moves.

_...I can't believe this..._the redhead silently chuckled once more, and tiptoed behind the bushes. _He's...shirtless...hee hee..._

But before she could go off into her known fangirl land and think of Ike, his blue eyes locked on hers.

Kenna jumped, and stepped back a little. "E-E-Eep! I'm sorry!"

"...It's alright." Ike nodded, and turned around with a huff. "I thought you would never come, so that's why I started." he then exhaled, turning back around and walked towards Kenna.

"...I know." Kenna nodded, and stepped over the bush, feeling a bit embarassed. But her face was still beet red. She was wondering why in the world Ike was training shirtless with pants on.

"It helps me concentrate more." Ike took the words out of her mouth. "...It...may seem awkard to some, but it works." he sighs. "Anyways, you need to start working on your training."

"Right." Kenna blinked when she was handed a sword. It was a good size for her to hold, and it was a teal color, no less. "...So I'm guessing you're training me to fight with a sword?"

Ike gave her a look as if to say, "Are you kidding me?". "Yes." He then started teaching Kenna the basics of swordfighting.

Kenna did as Ike told her to do, but she found off and on that she couldn't focus. Ike could tell, and stopped what he was doing for a minute. "...Just concentrate on the swordfighting, not my abs." he put it bluntly.

"O-Okay..." Kenna's voice squeaked without her realizing it, and then they continued.

Soon, the morning transitioned to afternoon. Ike glanced over a the sky, seeing the change in color of the sky.

"Hmph." he sighed. "...That took shorter than I thought it would." he then made his way to where his armor and the rest of his top clothing was, putting them on. Afterwards, he glanced over his shoulder at Kenna, who was wondering how she did.

The Radiant Hero had to think it over for a second. "...You overall did a good job for your first time. You had good defenses and attacks. But you _really _need to focus on your sword more than my abs next time, alright?"

"...Alright." Kenna could feel her face flush out of embarrassment. "...So I'm guessing you're training me some more on the basics later on?"

"Correct." Ike nodded, then made his way to the castle.

Kenna could hear him mumble, "I haven't ever met a girl in my life that blushes so much...what's her problem?" But she didn't hear the last part of it.

She then made her way into the castle, not saying another word.

Unfortunately, Tiaoshi had somehow got word of Kenna training with Ike in the forest, and kept on giving a knowing smirk to Kenna. Kenna, who was eating her lunch with her, grumbled.

"Stop that, Tia." Kenna gulped down a piece of meat before talking. "It's not what you think it is."

"Oh, it is now?" Tiaoshi giggled, and Kenna gave her a glare, which signaled her to stop. So Tiaoshi changed the subject. "So what did Lord Ike teach you?"

Kenna felt her face flush, remembering what Ike looked like during the training. "Oh, um...he gave me a sword-which actually looks pretty good at strength and other techniques- and taught me the basics of swordfighting. He said that he will be teaching me more about the basics later today." she then sighed. "I wonder if he's going to teach me how to fight in battle with a sword. I heard that his father trained him a few years ago before he died."

"...I see." Tiasoshi nodded, and finished her meal.

The two then transitioned to silence as they saw another people leave the table. Ike was the one sitting near the front of the table, and was almost done with his meal. Kenna glanced over to see a sapphire-haired woman get up from the table, Kenna stood up as well.

"Tiaoshi, isn't that...?" Kenna's eyes widened, and Tiaoshi gave her a confused look, until she saw the described woman as well.

"Yes, that's Lucina." The blonde nodded. "Why, does she ring a bell?"

"Yes." Kenna nodded, resting her fingertips on her lips, pondering. "I've heard so much about her, and I can't believe...that she's actually here..."

"Well, why don't you go talk to her?" Tiaoshi smiled, and stood up as well. "I think that she and the others are off until the evening, so she might have some time to spare."

"True." Kenna smiled as well, and then frowned, noticing that her scarf on her armor was being altered with. "Tiaoshi, what are you-"

"Oh, I'm just straightening out your scarf here." Tiaoshi nervously laughed. "Sorry. It's a motherly habit of mine."

"Yeah, it's a motherly habit that's annoying." Kenna puffed her cheeks in the said emotion. "Anyways, I really want to talk to Lucina, Tiaoshi. See you later!"

* * *

><p>Kenna caught Lucina just in time before she was making her way to the training hall. The female Lord could hear the footsteps of the 19-year old, and turned around.<p>

"Oh." she blinked, and walked over to Kenna. "You must be the redhead that Lord Ike and the others saved."

"Yes." Kenna curtsied, feeling like that was the polite thing to do. "...My name's Kenna Vikasa, and the other woman that you had saved is Tiaoshi, my protector."

"I see." Lucina looked thoughtful about this. "...And I assume you met Lord Ike?"

"Yes." Kenna's face flushed, and Lucina couldn't help but giggle. "He's...training me."

"Well, lucky you." Lucina smirked. "I heard that he was trained by his father before his death, and Ike has sure grown up to be a strong and remembered Hero."

"True." Kenna exhaled, thinking the female Lord's sentence over. It reminded her of her past, seeing her mother getting killed right before her eyes and hearing about her father dying in the war in Vietnam. "...He...sure has."

Lucina could see the concern in Kenna's face. "...Is something wrong, Kenna?"

Kenna blinked, and looked up at the woman, her concern soon fading away. "Oh, no. I'm fine. It...just reminded me of my past, that's all..."

"Your past?" Lucina felt like she could relate to that, but for her, it was reverse-in other words, the future.

"...It's a long story." Kenna curtsied as an apology, then made her way down the hallway and back to the mess hall. She quickly turned back around when she heard the blue-haired woman call her name.

"I'm sure you'll be a great member of the Greil Mercenaries." Lucina gave Kenna a warm smile, and turned her body slightly to the rest of the hallway in front of her. "Ever since Elincia had to quit the Mercenaries due to marrying Geoffrey and breaking up with Lord Ike, we haven't had a skilled feminine fighter in years, sadly."

"Oh my gosh..." Kenna didn't expect to be surprised, but hearing about the green-haired Queen made her have that expression. "You mean...Ike loved Elincia, and she broke up with him for some other man?"

"Yes." Lucina exhaled, resting a glove-covered hand on her head, small strands of her midnight hair peeking between her fingers. "But...I didn't mean to bring that up. Ike's...still dealing with it, though he doesn't show it around other people."

"...I see." Kenna sighed as well. "Anyways, are you going somewhere?" she questioned this since Lucina's body was still in the same pose.

"Why, yes." Lucina felt her cheeks flush with a bantam pigment in embarrassment. "I'm going to see my husband, Robin. He's buried in his books again, as usual." Then, with a laugh and a goodbye to Kenna, she left Kenna's sight.

The redhead became silent, and parted some of her hair away from her face, which was blocking a small fraction of her vision. She then proceeded back to the mess hall.

* * *

><p>Limited bursts of air escaped Kenna's mouth as she dodged Ike's attack, which was a swing of the sword near her face. It was now evening, and the sky was slowly transitioning from perwinkle to midnight. The light from the moon reflected on the two as Ike went to send another attack, but Kenna elbowed him hard in the stomach, with all her might.<p>

The blue-haired hero stumbled back a bit, but regained his balance quickly. "Not bad." he smirked, and got ready for another attack. "You're getting quite good at swordfighting."

"Thanks." Kenna smiled. She had already gotten the basics down pat, and is now on the swordfighting level. And Kenna had to admit that it was fun.

"You're doing a better job at sword fighting." Ike complimented, sending another swing of his sword at Kenna. Kenna managed to dodge it with her sword, the metal of Ragnell clashing upon the metal of hers.

Kenna gritted her teeth as she pushed Ragnell back with all her might. "...Thanks." she nodded, and then charged at Ike with her sword. He dodged it easily, and then waited for Kenna to step back a foot or two before he made his turn.

The Radiant Hero decided to go with a tactic that his father, Greil, had used when he was training Ike three years ago. Kenna was waiting when he ran towards her, his arms bent back behind his head.

A sharp gasp escaped Kenna's throat as she blocked the large swing of his sword just in time. Ike repeated the same tactic again, but with no running, and fairly lighter swings...but they still were powerful swings. Kenna blocked every one of them, and went to do one of her own, but a kick in the stomach stopped her from doing so.

The blue-haired man watched as Kenna stumbled to the ground, using her hands to maintain her balance so her back wouldn't collide against the ground.

"Hmph." Ike sighed before continuing. "You have to dodge attacks like those that come at you when you least expect them."

"I know that." Kenna groaned, getting up slowly. She wasn't in that much of pain, but her bottom hurt. She had landed right on it. "...But where did you learn to use that attack?"

Ike became silent; the young warrior's question brought the pain back...the pain that he felt go through his chest when he saw his father die right before his eyes.

Ike averted his blue eyes away from Kenna, who tilted her head to the side in confusion. But then it hit her when she saw the serious look on his face.

"Oh my gosh..." Kenna spoke up. "I-I'm sorry I brought that up-"

"It's fine." Ike muttered, locking his eyes on hers. "...But to answer your question, I learned it from Father. He...was excellent at sword fighting and even in his battles with our enemies." he then sighed. "...I..had to become the new leader of his Mercenary after he died, but I wasn't ready. I was only a Mercenary back then."

Ike then looked away, shocked that he just told that to Kenna. He was only used to telling close friends of his what had happened when he was 17 years old, not people he just met. But for some reason, Kenna already seemed like a friend already to him...but he couldn't quite put his finger on it...

"It's getting late." Ike spoke up, looking at the sky. Kenna averted her attention to see that the sky was a midnight color, signaling that it is nighttime. "...This took longer than I thought it would, unlike the first training session."

"True." Kenna agreed, then put her sword in its hilt. "Let's go back to the castle."

Kenna waited for Ike to put on his top clothing again before they made their way back to the castle.

The two were quiet the whole way until Kenna looked at Ike, breaking the silence. "Ike."

"Hm?" was all Ike said before raising an eyebrow and looking at her. Kenna felt her face flush before she continued.

"...Even though...we haven't known each other for that long, do you think of me as a friend?"

Ike thought that over, since he wasn't so sure himself. "Yes." Ike nodded. "But we have to know each other a little more before becoming good friends."

"Right." Kenna had to let out a laugh at that. "...Because I remembered how our first meeting was yesterday...it was kinda awkward..."

Ike smirked at that. "Yes, that it was."

The two were near the hallway, so they went their seperate ways and went to bed.


	2. Chapter 2: The First Mission--or Ambush

Kenna woke up the next day and went to the mess hall after putting on her armor. She was hoping to see Tiaoshi and the others there, so she could say her "Good Morning" 's to them. But she got her hopes up when she saw that it was only her protector, Ike, Chrom,Lucina, and Robin. They seemed to be troubled by something.

"...Hey." Kenna's voice almost trailed off, but it got their attention. "What's wrong?"

All five of them were quiet, and didn't respond at first. Lucina motioned with her hand for the redhead to come over and sit down with them. Kenna did what the princess told her to do, though she was completely confused.

"...We...just got word that Mother and many other people in her army were killed in battle overnight." Lucina spoke up to Kenna, whose eyes widened in horror.

"Oh my gosh." Kenna didn't know what to say, even though she didn't know that there was a battle going on last night. "...How did this happen?"

"...Well, Sully, Lucina's mother, saw that demonic minions were coming towards the castle." Chrom spoke up, and Kenna put her attention on him. "So she gathered up the army and went to fight it. But she and the rest of the army weren't in the battle for very long. The minions...killed them instantly, and left them to die. So when we got word of it and rushed out there to help them...it...was too late..."

The blue-haired King of Ylisse started sorrowing, resting his face on his hands. Ike rested a hand on Chrom's left shoulder, with Lucina resting a hand on his right. Both of them were sorry for his loss, and had concerned looks on their faces. Kenna, Tiaoshi, and Robin were sorry for his loss as well.

"Well, I'm terribly sorry...to hear about that." was all Kenna told him before she went into thought. Chrom had mentioned the demonic minions, which Ike had told her yesterday. Kenna knew that it was Akuma's doing, but she completely forgot about it. "...But...I do think that this is Akuma's doing."

Everyone but Tiaoshi and Kenna gasped. "Akuma?" Robin questioned. "Who is she?"

Kenna and Tiaoshi looked at each other, then nodded. Tiaoshi went into explaining who the demon goddess was, and how Kenna and Tiaoshi know her. The mission that Solaria assigned the redhead and protecter happened to slip out during it, but Lucina, Chrom, and Robin didn't seem to mind. Ike was the one to be surprised.

"So you're telling me that you two are on a mission to stop that demon goddess?" he questioned Kenna and Tiaoshi, and they both nodded. The Radiant Hero exhaled. "...I should've known that. Those black knights looked too familiar..."

"Too familiar?" Tiaoshi raied an eyebrow. "You mean those black knights that captured us might be in partnership with Akuma?"

"That's what we assume." Chrom lifted up his head and looked at the two women. "...But we are not sure yet. We'll have to see for ourselves when the time comes to fight Akuma."

"Right." The redhead and the blonde said in unison.

The six of them then became silent, with Kenna wondering if there's anything that needed to be talked about. But there didn't seem to be any, so Kenna went to get herself some breakfast. Tiaoshi stayed where she was.

"...So where are the rest of the people in this castle?" The blonde entity scanned the perimeter around her, since she was used to seeing the knights, Sheperds, and the like coming and going from the mess hall.

"They are out on the field, training." Lucina answered. "I am afraid that there might be another battle with Akuma later on, but then again, I'm not so sure." She then exhaled, and decided to get something to eat as well. Chrom and Robin went with her, so Tiaoshi and Ike were the only ones at the table.

The 2,001 year old entity didn't know what to say to the blue-haired Hero to start a conversation, so she thought of Kenna's training sessions with him.

"...So, how are Kenna's training sessions doing?" Tiaoshi perked an eyebrow, and Ike looked up. He seemed to be lost in thought about the army outside.

Ike took a second to switch from the army to the training sessions in his brain. "Oh, she's...been doing good. She's improving on her sword fighting and defense skills, but I kept on having to remind her not to look at my abs during the first time of her training."

"Oh, I see." Tiaoshi couldn't help but giggle at that. "Well, I'm sure that Kenna focusing on those will disappear after some time." She then reached inside herself to find something else to say, and got one. She almost lost it, but managed to remember it just in time.

"Besides that, though, do you think of Kenna as a friend, even though you haven't known each other for that long?" Ike's eyes widened when Tiaoshi asked that question, and he sighed.

"...Kenna had asked me this yesterday, but yes,I do think of her as friend, Tiaoshi." Ike responded, then looked away. "...I believe through the training sessions, we'll get to know each other better and become closer friends."

He could see Tiaoshi's smirk from a mile away. "And it is _not _ what you think it is, Tiaoshi. She seems too...how do you put it- 'fangirly' over me."

Tiaoshi laughed a bit. "Kenna is always like that. But as you get to know her more, she is actually a serious and hard-working person."

"She is?" Ike raised an eyebrow in doubt. "...Because she doesn't seem that way to me."

"Well, just give her some time, and it'll show through." Tiaoshi said the sentence a tad fast since Kenna and Lucina were coming their way with their meals. Chrom and Robin were still deciding on what to get.

Kenna sat down next to Tiaoshi and started eating, and Lucina sat down a seat away from Ike. Ike then decided to get something to eat, which was chicken.

Kenna giggled. "I guess he loves meat-based foods."

"He does," Tiaoshi nodded, "And so does his descendant, Priam."

"Priam?" Kenna raised an eyebrow. "He is Ike's descendant?"

"Yes, but he rarely comes here anymore." Tiaoshi explained. "Or that's what I have heard. Priam is no longer with Chrom's army and is with a different army now."

"...Ah, I see." Kenna said, and continued eating. The blonde continued to eat hers, and glanced over to see dango on Kenna's plate. She almost spit out her water.

"...How in the world did you get dango from here?!" Tiaoshi exclaimed, knowing that it certainly come from their realm.

Kenna saw the dango on her plate, and smiled. "Oh, I just packed some in case we became hungry during the transition between realms."

Tiaoshi still didn't understand, so she let Kenna leave it at that. They then saw Chrom and Robin finally coming back to the table with food on their plates. _Took them long enough..._Tiaoshi thought, and couldn't help but smirk.

"...Speaking of the armies," Chrom spoke up to Robin, who was paying attention while eating. "We need to go out there after we eat and stand by their side...in case those knights came back again."

"That's a good idea, Chrom." Robin smiled as he gulped down a piece of fruit. He then frowned. "But does that seem too soon, though? I mean, Sully and half of your army just got killed, so we can't stand of chance of going out there by ourselves and using the rest of the soliders that remain."

"...You've got a point there, Robin." Chrom sighed. "But I feel like that's the best choice to make."

The two then got silent, and Kenna and Tiaoshi have finished eating. So Kenna decided to bring up what was on her mind. "Ah, Chrom. Are you going to get Priam to join the army?"

Chrom looked at her, and his eyes widened. They then returned to their normal size as a doubtful expression appeared on his face. "No, I can't. He won't join our army again. I don't know the reason why, but I know he won't be of any help anymore." he then left it at that so the rest could finish their meals.

Once everyone was in their armor and ready to go, they heard a scream come from the distance.

"...I wonder who that could be." Lucina wondered, not recognizing the scream. But she was certain it was a male's voice.

The six then set out and joined the rest of the army. Kenna happened to see something running in the distance, and had a hard time making it out at first. But once it came into view, she could tell who it was, just by the blue hair.

It was Priam, Ike's descendant. His body was mostly covered by armor, and he had a green bandana wrapped around the top part of his head. He had a sword similiar to Ike's, who had Ragnell, but it seemed to be shattered in broken in some parts...but managed to keep together.

"What are you standing here for?" They heard him yell. "Get rid of this army behind me!"

Ike went to ask "What army?" but his eyes widened when he saw a stampede of black knights coming towards them. Kenna, Lucina, Ike, and Tiaoshi recognized them from yesterday, and got ready to fight. Priam got on their side, and took out his Ragnell. Ike happened to glance over at it, and his mouth dropped open in shock.

"...How in the world do you have my sword?" Ike pointed at Priam's sword, and Priam gave him a confused look.

"...It's because you gave the sword to me, Ike." Priam explained. "...That happened in the future, so you wouldn't understand."

Ike blinked, and looked away. "That's...true." He and Priam then focused on the army.

Chrom was in front of them, and glanced over his shoulder. "...Ready?"

Everybody else nodded. "Ready!"

Tiaoshi decided to pair up with Lucina, and Robin paired up with Chrom. Kenna decided to pair up with Ike, since she hoped this battle will help with her sword fighting skills. Priam had wanted to pair up with his ancestor, but glanced over to see that Virion, the well-known, light blue-haired archer, was alone. So he paired up with him.

And then, without another word, they charged at the black knights. The knights proved to be more powerful than expected, but Ike and the others didn't mind. Ike was known to have fought on the battlefield in his whole life, so he was okay with this. Unlike him, Kenna had only started fighting on the frontline when she was 7 years old, having to use her powers to defend herself.

Kenna and Ike watched as her protector and the blue-haired princess took down a couple of black knights, and then saw that there was a few black knights surrounding them. So the two decided to stand back to back. Kenna took out her sword, and held it in one hand. She activated her powers in her free hand, knowing that if her sword proved to be of no use, then her powers would come in handy.

Ike happened to glance over and see the teal aura from Kenna's hand. Kenna could see his shocked expression, and sighed. "...I'll explain later." They then fought the surrounding evil kinghts. Ike managed to defeat half of them, and Kenna kicked one in the stomach hard with her foot. She dodged one of their attacks that was going over her head, and elbowed him in the chest.

He stumbled back a bit, and Kenna saw that this was the right time to conjure her orb into a bolt. When she did so, she bent her arm back, then sent the bolt flying where she had elbowed him at.

Blood expelled from the knight's mouth once the bolt made contact with his chest and pierced through it, and he fell to the ground, motionless.

Kenna exhaled. "Okay. One down, a lot more to go." She then saw Ike getting rid of more black knights, and went over to help him.

Ike stabbed the black knight he was fighting through the chest, and glanced over at the running redhead. He glanced at the sky, and saw a Plegian black knight ready to fire her spear at the woman's head.

"Kenna, look out!" he yelled, and Kenna turned around just in time. Her eyes widened when she saw the spear heading for her, and she blocked it just in time with her shield. She had activated it by crossing her wrists, thus creating a teal semi-circle that deflected it back at the Plegian. The Plegian saw it coming back, and dodged it.

Kenna gritted her teeth when she saw her dodge it. She then saw Ike coming towards her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking concerned.

Kenna nodded. "I'm alright." She and Ike now stood next to each other, and saw the same Plegian coming at them again. The Radiant Hero and the redhead locked eyes on each other, then nodded. Once the Plegian flew down a little, so she was near Earth level, Ike charged her with all his might, and slashed her across the chest, twice. The Plegian screamed in pain, and put her hand on the wound. The pegasus she was on slumped a little bit, but was still able to hover in the air.

"Don't forget about me!" Kenna smirked, and transitioned her bolt into an orb. She closed her eyes for a second as the orb became bigger and bigger. She then threw it quickly with all her might, and watched as it collided with the Plegian. The Plegian screamed as it hit her, and she flew directly off her pegasus. The black knights watched as she stumbled to the ground, rolling a few feet until her body came to a stop. They could see the blood from the wound streak against the grass.

Kenna and Ike could see the anger boiling up inside of them. Kenna got her sword ready, since she felt like that could be of use right about now. Ike had Ragnell over his shoulder, he was already prepared.

"Okay. Let's finish them off." Kenna told Ike, and Ike obliged.

Ike and the redhead then looked at the knights before them and smirked. "Prepare yourselves."

* * *

><p>The battle lasted approximately 7 hours. Kenna thought it would take days to kill off those black knights, since she was very exhausted after the battle. As the army made their way back to the castle, Kenna fell to her knees.<p>

Tiaoshi smiled warmly, and helped her up. Kenna could see that blood had ran down her forehead, and was covering one of her eyes, which was closed to prevent the blood from getting into the eye. There was a small trickle of blood on her lips.

"...You alright, Kenna?" Her protector looked at her, and Kenna grinned weakly.

"...I'm...fine." Kenna had taken a split second to breathe between those words. "I'm just exhausted, that's all." she then laughed a bit. "But don't worry, I'm not exhausted to the point that I'll faint."

"Well, it looks like you're going to any time soon." Lucina told Kenna, and Kenna and Tiaoshi looked over at her.

Lucina only seemed to suffer minor damage, with only a cut on her cheek, which had blood dripping from it, but seemed to be drying off. "...But you should get some rest. You and Tiaoshi fought hard today, and did an excellent job." she smiled at the last sentence, then went to help her father and Robin with their injuries.

Kenna sighed. "Lucina's right, Kenna." she heard Tiaoshi tell her. "You should get some rest."

The redhead weakly nodded. "Yes...I should." So without any more dialogue, Tiaoshi took her to her room.

* * *

><p>Once Kenna was refreshed and up the next morning, she checked out her wounds on her face and body with the mirror in her room. She could see that Tiaoshi had healed the blood on her forehead, which she didn't realize was dripping down in the first place. She had really bad cuts on her chest and arms, which was from the black knights attacking her and Ike when they got distracted by an enemy Tatician. But those seemed to be wrapped up in banadages as well.<p>

Kenna exhaled. _Man, with cuts like those, I would've been dead by now. _She then glanced over at her door, and decided to go to the mess hall. She found out that she was limping on her right leg, which she found shocking, to say the least.

_...Was I attacked there as well when Ike and I were distraught by the enemy? _she pondered, then left it at that, since she assumed that was the case.

When she reached the mess hall, she saw that nobody was there, not even Tiaoshi. _I guess they might be in the throne room, talking about the battle. _She then shrugged it off, for she didn't mind the peace and quiet. But then she spotted someone around the corner, so she started to walk over there.

When she saw who it was, she gasped. The woman gasped, and jumped. The two ladies then calmed down.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-" Kenna went to say, but the blonde beat her to it.

"It's alright." she smiled, and her pigtails went along with the movement of her head. Kenna happened to see them, and then the formal yellow dress and magical staff, and it hit her.

"You muse be Lissa, Chrom's sister!" Kenna pointed out, and Lissa looked surprised.

"...Yes, I am." Lissa tilted her head in confusion. "How did you know?"

Kenna blinked, and looked away, a tad embarrassed. "...I...have just heard of you, that's all."

"Okay then!" Lissa grinned, and blinked. She looked at Kenna for a moment, and Kenna started to feel a little uneasy. "...And you're Kenna, right?"

"Yes." Kenna curtsied, trying her best to be polite. "I fought with Ike in battle several hours ago."

"I see." Lissa thought that over, but when she heard Kenna mention Ike's name, her eyes widened. "Oh. Speaking of Lord Ike, he wants to see you in the throne room for something."

_It must be about the battle yesterday..._Kenna thought. "...Okay then." she nodded to Lissa, and started making her way to the throne room. "Thank you." She then stopped in her tracks, suddenly nervous.

"What? Is there a problem, Kenna?" Lissa asked.

Kenna nervously laughed. "Uh, yeah. W-Where's the throne room, exactly?"

"Oh! It's straight ahead." Lissa giggled. "I hope that helps."

Kenna seemed to calm down, and continued on her way. "O-Okay...but thank you, again."

* * *

><p>When Kenna entered the throne room, she could see that Chrom, Robin, and Lucina have left the room. She thought she heard one of them suggest to go to the training room to get some practice in, but she wasn't so sure. But she knew that Ike was in the room, with his back against the wall and his arms crossed.<p>

Kenna felt a rosy pigment cover her cheeks when she saw him, but they returned to their normal color once she spoke up. "So, Lissa told me that you wanted to see me?"

Ike nodded, and released his arms from the position that they were in. "...That's correct. I wanted to talk to you about the fight with the black knights from yesterday."

_I knew it..._Kenna thought, then set it aside with a nod. "...Okay then. What about it?"

Ike looked away for a second so he could put on his mind on it. "...Well, I saw how you fought beside me in battle, and to be honest...I was impressed." he then walked over to her, and Kenna felt her heart skip a beat. But she did her best to keep calm.

"You had...good fighting skills when it came to using those orbs and bolts-whatever you call them-in your hands." he continued. "You seemed to use your sword from time to time, and not as often as you do when I am training you in our sword-fighting lessons."

Kenna nodded, understanding what he said, though she appreciated the small compliment at the beginning. "...So, um, is that a good thing, or a bad thing that I used my sword from time to time?"

Ike had to think on that, considering his tactics that he uses for battles, and his way of training. "...A good thing. But I have to say that you need to work on that once I decide on a new session."

Kenna went to say, "Okay..." but Ike had thought of something else to say. "Oh, and speaking of the orbs and bolts, may you tell me how you got those?"

The 19-year old women started to get nervous, and shifted her eyes to the left, so she wouldn't be looking at Ike. She knew that Ike was curious of that, but she has only known him for about two days. _...Should I tell him? _Kenna pondered in her mind, feeling her adrenaline kick up. _..No, I don't think I should... _

She then lock her eyes on Ike's once more, then went back into thought. She mentally bit her bottom lip. _...I...think I should better get it over with. But I need to leave one part out, and that's my past..._

So, without any more hesitation, she told him how she got her powers. She had started with meeting Tiaoshi when she was 5 years old, and then Tiaoshi giving Kenna her powers so she can defend herself. She explained how Tiaoshi has been training her since, and that is why she has her powers and fighting skills concerning those down pat.

Ike had a hand rested on his chin, and his other hand on the elbow of that arm. He seemed to be in thought after Kenna's long explanation.

The redhead was worried that she might've said something wrong, or messed up while telling him. But when she saw that he broke his own train of thoughts, she was relieved.

"...I see." Ike spoke up. "...This is interesting. So your protector is an entity?"

"Yes." Kenna nodded. "I think that you or the others had asked this before. She's...from a different realm called Tigoris. The word entity means spirit, but in this case, it means a creature-like spirit that can turn into a human to disguise themselves from their enemies."

The Radiant Hero blinked. "Okay then. That's...quite odd, since we haven't encountered an entity before."

"Well, I guess this is your first time, then." Kenna smiled, a little awkwardly.

Ike just exhaled, and started exiting the throne room. A short gasp came from Kenna, and she ran over to him.

Ike could see her coming in the corner of his eye, and turned around, only for Kenna to hit right into his chest.

Kenna wasn't hurt at all, but she stepped back a half an inch. She saw where she hit into, and her face flushed. "Oh...gosh...sorry about that. I didn't stop in time."

"...It's alright." Ike nodded, and smirked, catching Kenna off guard. He then continued on his walk, making his way to the mess hall.

Kenna assumed that he might be craving chicken, since he must've been exhausted after the battle.

"Speaking of which..." Kenna said to herself. "I only saw a few bruises and cuts on him...he didn't seem to be hurt as much as we were." she shrugged it off with a "Hm." and decided to make her way to the mess hall, since her stomach grumbled.

"...I really need to get some breakfast."


	3. Chapter 3: More Sessions, More Ambushes

It has now been a month since Kenna and Tiaoshi's encounter with Ike and the others. Kenna has come to know Ike very well, since almost every day of the week, he has been doing the training sessions.

Kenna felt bad for not telling him about her past, the other part of the explanation. But she assumed that it will remind Ike of his past, so she let that be.

The redhead was in her room the next morning, almost finished putting on her armor when she heard a knock at the door. Exhaling, Kenna finished putting on her shoulder blades, and then walked over to the door. She was shocked to see that it was Owain, Lissa's son from the future.

"...Um, hello, Owain." Kenna didn't know what to say. "What're you doing here?"

The dark-haired warrior rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. "...Um, Mother wants to see you."

Kenna knew instantly that it was Lissa, and nodded. "Okay, then. Thank you, Owain." she smiled, and made her way out of her room, closing the door behind her.

When Kenna reached the throne room, which she had expected Lissa to be at, she was completely confused. She couldn't find the blonde anywhere, but then she heard a femine voice say her name. Kenna raised an eyebrow, doubting it was her, but then she heard her name being called again, followed by a giggle.

"...Okay, that's definitely her." Kenna said to herself, and followed in the direction of Lissa's voice. When she finally found her, she saw that Lissa was standing next to a tall, dark-haired man. It wasn't Owain this time, but Lon'qu.

Kenna has never met Lon'qu, but has only heard about him. He was wearing his normal clothing, which was like a kimono for guys, but more warrior-like. He had large cuffs on his sleeves, and a long hit for his sword, which Kenna assumed that held his long and sharp sword: The Killing Edge.

"...Is this Lon'qu?" she guessed, wondering if Lissa wanted Kenna to meet him. And she was correct when she saw the sister of Chrom nod.

"He is a very skilled swordmaster, and has recently leveled up to the Assassin class." she then chuckled a bit when she remembered their first meeting. "He used to have a fear of women, but it took him a while to soften up about it."

Lon'qu gritted his teeth in embarrassment. "...That's right. But I don't want that brought up right now, Lissa."

Lissa gasped. "...Oh, sorry, Lon'qu." she only got a pat on the head from him, letting her know that she didn't have to apologize.

"Anyways," Lon'qu sighed and looked at Kenna. "Chrom told me of your fighting skills in the battle when you paired up with Lord Ike. So I decided to join Chrom's army once more, since I have more free time."

Kenna guessed it was because of Owain, and left it at that. "...Okay. I'm completely fine with that. But you should tell Chrom this, not me. I'm not a Lord."

"Oh, he knows." Lissa grinned. "He was just informing you of his choice, that's all." They then heard Owain yelling his random phrases again from the training room, and with a growl, Lon'qu walked out of the room.

"W-Wait!" Lissa called after him, and the two left their sight.

Kenna blinked in confusion, then shook her head. "...Is there something wrong with Owain or something...?" she asked herself, then shrugged it off. She then returned to the mess hall to get some breakfast.

When she arrived in there, she saw Tiaoshi already finished with her meal, and seemed to be waiting for the redhead to come in. Kenna could see her glance, and curtised, making her way to the chair next to her protector.

"...I apologize, Tiaoshi. Lissa wanted me to meet Lon'qu, since he's thinking of joining Chrom's army again." Kenna explained before Tiaoshi had a chance to speak.

The blonde smiled, and shook her head. "It's alright, Kenna. There's no need to apologize."

Kenna smiled sheepishly, knowing that she was used to apologizing at times when there's no reason to. So with a laugh, she got some food to eat, since her stomach was starting to complain. It didn't seem to have any manners, except keeping quiet during conversations.

"Say," Tiaoshi spoke up, catching the redhead's attention when she sat back down at the table, "I've noticed that Lord Ike's acting a little...different than usual."

"What do you mean?" Kenna raised an eyebrow, biting into a piece of her apple.

"...Well," The blonde tried her best not to smile when saying this, since that would give it away, "He's been his usual self during your training sessions with him and the sudden ambushes, but I've seen him looking away when he glances over at you. I can see that the bantam pigment on his cheeks busts his cover on that."

Kenna spit her piece of apple onto her plate. She couldn't believe what Tiaoshi was saying. Ike...likes her? "You have to be pulling my leg, Tia." Kenna wiped her mouth with a napkin. "There is no way he likes me. We're good friends, even though we've known each other for a month. He has his heart set on Elincia, and I'm okay with that."

"Well, things can change when we least expect them, Kenna." Tiaoshi smirked, seeing that Kenna was starting to turn red at the news.

"I know." Kenna exhaled, and glanced over at Ike, who was eating breakfast as well. She was surprised to see that it wasn't chicken, but a huge piece of some kind of meat. "...But, I don't think I should confess it to him just yet..."

"Well, if you don't, it might not work out between you two." In other words, Tiaoshi was bascially saying that Kenna was too nervous to tell Ike how she really felt. So she nodded over to the Radiant Hero. "Come on, don't be shy."

She ended that sentence with a reassuring smile, letting Kenna know to calm down and just go with it. So, without another word, Kenna started making her way to Ike, but something caused her to freeze. The redhead realized it was her adrenaline kicking up again, so she took a few deep breaths to relax herself once more.

She was now standing next to Ike. He was just about finished with his meal, and he happened to glance over and see the redhead before him. He quickly looked away. "...What is it?"

Kenna shifted her balance from one foot to other. "...Well, uh, Tiaoshi said that you've been acting different lately, that you might...like me."

Ike noticed her hesitation on the last two words of her explanation, and he almost spit out the water he was drinking. He then stood up carefully, since the armor pieces on his knees would've made a loud, clanging sound against the table. Kenna saw him look to his left, and then his right, then motioned for Kenna to come to the hallway.

Kenna was tad confused, but understood once she looked over her shoulder. Tiaoshi seemed to smiling about this, and Kenna could see if from a mile away. So she gave Tiaoshi her "Don't-even-think-about-it" look, and went with Ike to the hallway.

Once they were out of earshot of any possible eavesdroppers, the two went to start on the conversation. Ike had to admit for someone with a serious, straight-out personality, he was quite nervous, nonetheless his completely understanding of what Kenna had told him.

"...So is what Tia said about you...true?" Kenna raised an eyebrow, feeling the tension inside of her building up as well.

Ike could see Kenna's cheeks turning rosy, so he decided to just get this over with. However, it took him a few seconds to do so before speaking up. "...No. It's...not true."

"It isn't?" Kenna's eyes widened.

The Radiant Hero nodded, "I don't know what Tiaoshi is thinking, but I think of you as a good friend,even though we've known each other for a month. But we have gotten to know each other very well through training."

When Kenna agreed with a "True.", he continued. "...I..still have Elincia on my mind, as I am pretty sure Lucina has told you this." Kenna nodded, letting him know that was true. "So, again, I think of you a comrade, an ally, a friend. Nothing more."

The redhead then watched as he turned around, making his way down the hallway, which signaled the end and began the entrance to the mess hall.

Wait, Ike." she stopped him by walking a few steps and raising her left hand. He turned around. "...Am I...going to see you later at training?"

"Of course." he nodded, adding a slight smile. He then continued his way back to the mess hall.

Kenna stood there for a moment, which allowed her brain to go into its train of thoughts. _...Well, that was quick. I thought it would've...lasted longer. But I don't know why I was thinking that._

_S_he then thought over the last part of the conversation, where Ike had turned around and went back to the mess hall. _...But I...could've sworn that I saw a bantam pigment painted on his cheeks. Could he be...? _The 19-year old knew what the last word of that thought was, and it was "lying". _No, no, that can not be it! Ike is a serious, blunt person. He doesn't hide anything except his past. So...he's telling the truth, then. _Kenna concluded it at that, and then made her way to the mess hall as well._  
><em>

The next day, there was a word of an ambush in Ylisse. King Chrom and the others expected it to be the black knights or Plegians, but it was the Risen...as usual. But they came in a greater amount of numbers then usual.

"We've been dealing with the Risen for too many years now." Chrom exhaled as he and the others prepared themselves to fight the monsters. "Hopefully, this'll be the last time."

Ike and the others nodded. Kenna wasn't used to fighting the Risen, since she was more used to the black knights ambushing the castle, or as least attempting to.

So, without any more dialogue, Ike paired up with Priam this time. Kenna decided to pair up with Lucina, and Robin paired up with Chrom. The others paired up with random people.

"Okay. Ready?" Chrom looked over his shoulder at the others, and they nodded in response. So, they charged at all their might at the Risen.

It took them a very long to defeat the Risen, which was about 4 hours. Most of Chrom's army ended up wounded, and had to retreat for the time being. There was blood stained areas of the battefield from them. So that left Ike, Priam, Chrom, Kenna, Lucina, and Lon'qu still up and fighting.

"...Alright." Chrom told the group. "We have to think of a strategy that will wipe out the rest of the Risen in one swipe. Does anyone have any ideas?"

Kenna raised her hand, and Chrom locked his eyes on her. "...Well, what about one of us charges at the Risen, and we kill their chief? The rest of the Risen will be distracted, and we will finish them off in no time."

"That's...actually a good idea, Kenna." Lucina smiled, and Lucina decided that she needed to go first, and then let Kenna finish the chief off.

When Lucina raised her Falchion, and went to stab the chief thorough the chest, she saw that the chief must've expected her move. She watched in horror as he swung his axe towards her head, ready to slice it in half with one hit.

Lucina felt her whole body freeze, including her muscles. _What...am I doing...? _Lucina bit her bottom lip in confusion. _I need to get moving again and dodge that-_

Her thought was interrupted when she saw Kenna step in front of her, now in the way of the chief's attack.

"Kenna, no-!" The dark blue-haired princess went to say and extended her hand out to the redhead.

...But it was too late.


	4. Chapter 4: The Radiant Hero's Revelation

Lucina and the others couldn't look as the Risen chief's axe swung at Kenna, and cut her right on the head. The axe went one-forth's into Kenna's head, so it didn't hit the brain at all. But there was a lot of blood gushing from Kenna's head, and covered her left eye.

Blood expelled from Kenna's mouth as she started to feel unsteady, her balance being thrown off. Lucina caught her just in time, and felt tears surfacing at the tip of her bottom eyelids.

"...Kenna...you should've not taken that blow..." The dark blue-haired princess gritted her teeth as the tears ran down her face and tickled the edge of her lips as they passed by. "...But...you were trying to save my life, so I'll have to give you that."

She then locked her eyes on her father and the rest of his army, her eyes full of determination. "...I'll take Kenna to one of the tents to be healed. Father, you and your army need to finish off the rest of the Risen without me."

Chrom went to say something to his royal daughter, but it was too late. She was already running at a fast speed, almost at the castle. He exhaled, and did what his daughter told him to do. It reminded him of when fellow members of his army were killed or injured, and he had told his group to continue fighting, even if he leaves the battle to take care of the wounded. In addition, he suddenly remembered the three villagers they encountered, how the blue-haired King swore to save them, to keep them from dying. But they ended up dying anyway, and Chrom immediately felt guilt.

"...She's right." Chrom spoke up, catching the attention of his army. "We need to continue fighting and move on. Now, let's go!" And with that last sentence being a loud battle cry, he and the rest of his army charged the Risen.

Meanwhile, Lucina was in the hallway, with Kenna in her arms. Kenna was knocked out from that powerful blow to her head, and Lucina was afraid Kenna wasn't going to make it. Thankfully, she found Lissa, who wasn't on the battlefield this time.

"Oh, thank the Gods," Lucina exhaled to herself, "Aunt Lissa. I need your help!"

The blonde-haired woman turned around. "Oh. What seems to be the problem..." she gasped in horror and covered her mouth. "Oh gosh...is that Kenna...?"

The blue-haired princess nodded, and her expression changed to distress. "Kenna...was injured greatly by one of the Risen we were fighting when we paired up together in battle. I...need you to take care of her, please."

Lissa gladly took Kenna into her arms, though Kenna was a tad heavy for her. Kenna weighed more than Lissa did, so that explained it. "Oh, I sure will." she then looked at her niece in concern. "Are you going to go back to the battlefield to join your father and the others?"

Lucina took that into thought, and moved her face to the side, then looked down at the floor for a moment. She wanted to say "Yes, it is my right to do this, to fight alongside my father," but she realized that after helping save her father from being killed and thus keeping the entire world from burning, there was no real, tragic future to worry about.

"...No." she finally spoke up when her mind made its decision, and she locked her blue eyes on her aunt's. "...Father...and his army will be able to get rid of the rest of the Risen." She then thought of Kenna. "Well, in addition to that, I would like to stay with Kenna while she is getting healed, if you don't mind, Aunt Lissa."

The blonde woman smiled warmly and couldn't help but chuckle. "...Oh I don't mind at all. I'm sure Kenna will enjoy having some company when she comes to."

The King of Ylisse's daughter only smiled and nodded, and made her way to her room after telling her aunt that she'll see her later. She needed to tend to her wounds herself, since Lissa would be busy with Kenna.

As she placed the bandages on her wounds, she winced. _These wounds are going to take a while to heal..._she exhaled, then glanced at her window. _Father, please be safe out there. I know you can do it.__  
><em>

Everything was blurry, hard to make out when Kena came to. She still felt dizzy, but not to the point that she would pass out again. She scanned the perimeter around her, and her eyes locked on Lissa, who was getting out another bandaid.

Lissa happened to see Kenna looking at her, and her eyes widened. "Oh, you're awake!" she smiled out of relief as she applied the bandaid to Kenna's head, wrapping it around the wound on her head. "Still feel dizzy?"

Kenna nodded. "...Yes. But don't worry. I won't pass out like I did on the battlefield."

"Alrighty." Lissa grinned, and finished up putting the bandaid on her head. "There! You should be fine now."

"Hm?" Kenna wondered, and Lissa could tell that Kenna didn't know that she was being tended to.

"Oh, my apologies." Lissa got a mirror and showed Kenna where she was being healed at. Kenna saw that she had bandages where she was bruised, which were on her arms and waist. But Kenna could see that the one that was wrapped up the most was the top of her head. It looked more like a hat to her, and she was confused. But then it hit her.

"Oh, god..." Kenna muttered, and gave Lissa back the mirror with her head down. She then rested her head on her hands, feeling guilt rush inside of her.

"What's wrong, Kenna?" The blonde Cleric questioned her, and she didn't get an answer. Kenna was thinking about the fight with the Risen, how long the battle took, and her saving Lucina from getting hit. She winced remembering how her head was almost cut in half from the Risen chief.

The redhead heard Lissa call her name again, and looked up at her. Lissa could see the concern, nonetheless the grief stricken on her face. "...How...could I have let myself get hurt like that?" Kenna asked her, and then looked away. "I should've not done that in the first place..."

"Kenna, it's alright." Lissa rested a hand on her friend's shoulder, and Kenna didn't look at her, though she appreciated Lissa trying to comfort her. "You did what you could. Also, it is not bad that you saved Lucina, you were doing that out of kindness."

Kenna nodded. "...I know that. But...because of my injury to my head, I had to be taken out of the battle. I...am just worried that Chrom and the others will not make it."

"Oh, I'm sure he and the others will make it." Lissa reassured her. "I'm sure of it. My brother is very strong, and so was his wife, Sully."

"...True." Kenna agreed, though she never got to meet Sully. She only heard from Chrom that she was a tough redhead, who tended to cuss off and on. But it was part of her attitude. Kenna felt a pinch of sadness because a part of her really wanted to meet the former Queen of Ylisse.

The two ladies then heard a knock at the door, and Lissa want to go see who it was. "It must be Lucina." Lissa hummed as she opened the door, and she was correct.

Lucina curtsied. "Hello, Aunt Lissa. I came to give Kenna some company, so you can go now."

"Alright." Lissa smiled, and gasped when she saw the bandages and some of Lucina's uncovered wounds. "...But, Lucina! What about your wounds?"

"They'll be alright, and they'll heal in no time, Aunt Lissa." The blue-haired princess smiled ressuringly. "...So you don't have to worry."

The blonde smiled with the same meaning, though she doubted that Lucina's wounds would heal right away. "...Alright. Then, I'll leave you and Kenna be. I'm going to see how Owain is doing." she couldn't help but giggle a bit when she mentioned her son's name. She then closed the door behind her.

The redhead and the midnight-haired princess stood there in silence for a moment.

"...You seem to have taken more damage than I did, Lucina." Kenna spoke up, catching Lucina's attention. "You're lucky."

Lucina sighed. "...I wouldn't call myself lucky, Kenna. I suffered similar wounds to my father and his army, so we are at the same state of injury...you included."

Kenna nodded, understanding what she said. "But...I let myself get my head hit, with it almost being sliced in half." Tears started to form in her eyes. "...I..should've teamed up with you in the first place to finish that Risen chief off. Otherwise, I would be fine and not in this room..."

Kenna's eyes widened when she noticed Lucina wiping her tears away. She locked her red eyes on Lucina's blue eyes.

"…You do not have to blame yourself, Kenna." She said with a reassuring smile. "That will only bring your mood down and also your positivity. Father and the others know you to be a person who fights for what's right, and never backs down. You've always encouraged us to do our best."

Kenna was surprised at Lucina's choice of words, and happily accepted them. "Thank you, Lucina….I needed that."

"No problem." The midnight-haired princess smiled, and the two gave each other a hug to end the conversation on that subject.

"…I wonder how the battle is going for King Chrom and his army." Kenna spoke up after the two pulled back.

"I'm sure the battle is finishing up," Lucina nodded, "I can sense it. Father and the rest of them will be back any moment."

As soon as she said that, the two ladies heard something collide with the floor near the entrance of the castle. Lucina knew that was Chrom and the rest returning from the battle, and it must've been Chrom that fell to the floor, exhausted. She didn't blame him, though, she knew how he felt.

"Stay here." She told Kenna, when she noticed that Kenna got up, wanting to help Lucina. The redhead exhaled in frustration, and sat back down on her seat with a _plump_.

_Stupid injury. _She puffed her cheeks and bit the inside of one of them with her teeth. _I wish that I could be allowed to get up and help. Besides, I have my healing aura I can use. Chrom and the others would be healed in no time, with Lissa being of assistance. _She let out her anger with a sigh. _But Lucina told me to stay here, so I'll have to follow her orders…_

After a while had passed, Kenna noticed that Lucina wasn't back yet. The 19-year old assumed that the healing was taking longer than she expected. _…Gosh, I hope they are all alright. _Kenna thought in concern. _I need to see how it's going._

She got up from her seat, and walked over to the door, slowly opening it. She noticed that from where she was, Chrom and his army seemed to be healed and refreshed. Kenna shifted her eyes to the left, and gasped when she saw Lucina talking with Ike. Ike seemed like he had something on his mind, and a bantam pigment was covering his cheeks. Kenna couldn't tell from where she was, but she could tell that Ike looked…nervous. _Now why would he be nervous? _Kenna wondered. _Well, no. It's none of my business, so I'll leave that be._

She then closed the door carefully after the Radiant Hero and Lucina finished their conversation, and went their separate ways. Kenna thought Lucina was going to come straight back to the healing room, but it looked like she was going to the mess hall.

Kenna felt her stomach grumble, and she exhaled. _Didn't I just eat a while ago, before the battle? _Kenna thought. _I don't remember. The battle must've made me have an appetite, which doesn't really happen. Hmm…_

She looked up when she heard someone opening the door, and saw it to be Lucina. She noticed that the blue-haired princess was carrying a plate in her hand, with food on it. Her other hand was holding another plate with food on it as well.

"Sorry." Lucina curtsied after giving Kenna her plate. "I thought that we needed something to eat after the battle."

"True." Kenna nodded, and started eating. The two eat in silence for a moment. Lucina was now finished with her meal.

"Kenna." she said the redhead's name, who was still eating. Kenna looked up, curious. "After you're done eating, I need to tell you something."

"Alright." Kenna told her after swallowing a piece of bread, and then ate the rest of her food. Once she was done, she looked at Lucina, sitting patiently. "...So what do you need to tell me?"

Lucina seemed to hesitate for a moment, thinking about her conversation with Ike. She and Ike were talking about Kenna, and Lucina could tell that Ike was slightly nervous. She knew what Ike was thinking, but Kenna didn't, she was oblivious to it.

"...Lord Ike wanted me to tell you to meet him in one of the hallways later today." she spoke up, her sentence catching Kenna off guard. Lucina could see that, and continued, so Kenna would understand better. "He wants to discuss...something with you. I don't know what it is, but I assume it's about training or something else related to that."

Kenna blinked, and looked down at the floor, pondering. "Well, uh, did I do something wrong?" she questioned Lucina when she lifted her head back up. "Is that why?"

Lucina shook her head. "No,that's not it. Just...do what I said and meet him in one of the hallways in the evening. It's serious."

Kenna became quiet for a moment. She was still confused of what the princess of Ylisse was saying, though she understood what Lucina was telling her to do. This...wasn't like Ike. Kenna knew him to be serious, straight to the point, and blunt, even. He never seemed to be nervous, or tell anyone to discuss something with them in private.

_Something must be on his mind..._she came to that conclusion, and mentally hit her fist on her open hand. _That's what it must be! I know that every day, Ike remembers the tragic event of seeing his father die right before his eyes, and the death of his mother before that. He and Mist have had to cope with that for so long. So something similar to that must be what's bothering him! _

Kenna stopped it there. She wanted to leave that thought be and not add any more to it. Lucina could see the determination on her face, and could tell what Kenna was thinking. Kenna was oblivious about Ike's thoughts, and she would have to find out for herself what Ike is really thinking.

Kenna then looked at Lucina. "Anyways, when am I going to be able to leave this healing room and be back to normal life again?"

Lucina thought that over. She knew that Kenna suffered a bad blow to the head, as well as some minor injuries to parts of her body. Kenna's head seemed to be healing slowly by the minute, so the matter of it was decreasing at the same rate.

"Aunt Lissa said you'll be able to return back to your normal rountines this evening." Lucina told her. "She thinks that is when the wound on your head would be halfway done healing, and won't need to be dealt with again. It'll take on the rest of its process once you leave the healing room."

Kenna nodded. "Okay." She then slumped down in her seat. _ This...is going to take a while._

Once it was evening, and Lucina told Kenna that she can return back to her normal duties now, Kenna stepped out of the healing room. She sighed, and saw Lucina open the door after her, and started making her way to her room.

"Goodnight, Kenna." she waved to the redhead with a sleepy smile. Kenna didn't blame her, she would have the same look on her face as well, if she was in the Princess of Ylisse's shoes.

" Goodnight, Lucina." Kenna smiled, and started making her way down the hallways. She started with the one in front of her, but only ran into the convoy. The left one was the next choice, but she ended up in the mess hall, where Chrom and Robin were discussing strategies about tommorow.

"Well, the right hallway seems to be the only choice." Kenna said to herself, and started making her way down there.

She saw that it was getting darker as she was further down the hallway. She then blinked when she heard a light being turned on, and looked in the direction of the possible figure that did it.

And surely enough, it was Ike. He had his back against the wall, as well as his left foot. He had his arms crossed, and the usual frown put on his face. He...seemed to be unhappy about something, and that made Kenna start to worry a little bit.

She flinched when he suddenly walked towards her, and stopped when he was standing in front of her, his eyes locked on hers.

"You must be wondering why I told Lucina to tell you to come here." Ike spoke up, raising an eyebrow.

Kenna nodded, unsure of why he asked that. "Y-Yes. Is...is it something bad? Did I do something wrong during training, or during the battle against the dark knights and Risen?"

Ike was silent for a second before he shook his head. "No. It's something else, something more serious than that. You see, King Chrom and the others have been worried about the ambushes of the said enemies, since they've never increased in such large numbers before. And the injury you received to your hand only added to the trouble." Ike exhaled.

The redhead felt gult strike her heart once more, but it seemed to more painful. "...So does that mean that they're disappointed at me getting hurt like I did? Because it sure sounds like that."

Again, Ike shook his head. "No, they're worried about it, as well as the other members of their amy. They think of you as a comrade now, since Lucina and the others have gotten to know you through the support conversations and battles. I especially got to know you better, and learn that you are not just some weird girl that loves to smile goofy."

Kenna knew that to be true. She tended to have her fangirling side come out, and she can't help it sometimes.

"But you're an idiot for doing what you did in the previous battle." Ike continued wth that blunt sentence. Kenna winced at that, since he's never called her that before. "...You...shouldn't have tried to sacrifice your life to save Lucina's. But you were damn lucky that axe didn't completely cut your head in half."

He became quiet for a moment as he leaned in towards Kenna's face, slowly resting his hand on her cheek. Kenna flinched, feeling her heart race a mile a minute.

"...But, other than that, I'm glad to know that you made it out alright." And with that last sentence out and over with, Ike pressed his lips softly against hers, and closed his eyes. Kenna's eyes widened, and the sudden beet red pigment on her cheeks spread to the rest of her face.

Kenna could still feel her heart beating a mile a minute. _...Wh..Why is Ike...doing this? I thought...it was going to be about something entirely different at first. But I can tell that I was wrong..._And with that, she closed her eyes, accepting the kiss. The two were like that for a miute or two before they pulled back.

Kenna looked surprised at Ike, even though she had to admit that she really liked the kiss. She felt her cheeks turn pink when she saw Ike smirk warmly at her expression.

"...I thought, that I needed to move on, after my hopeful life in the future with Elincia was torn apart." Ike expained, and then grabbed Kenna's hand gently, squeezing it. He then frowned, a little nervous. "I'm sure this is a bit out of character for me, but I'm not much of the romantic type."

"Oh, I know." Kenna smiled. "You're more of the blunt and serious type. I guess...when you get a crush on a woman you really love, and they love you back, it reveals another side of you that you didn't realize you had."

Ike look shocked at her words, but kindly accepted them. "...That is true." The two then leaned in for another kiss, then went their seperate ways to their rooms.

Kenna didn't realize tha Ike turned off the light after he left, so Kenna used her powers as a light.

_...I can't wait to tell Tiaoshi tommorow..._she thought dreamily.


End file.
